Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?

[Dorado]

http://www.wimp.com/warhero/

 

Enough said.

[Sergeant Smokepole #29248L]

The true heros never made it home. IMHO....

[Curley Fryes]

The true heros never made it home. IMHO....

My uncle was a hero in Anzio and he made it home.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Anyone that has worn the uniform, in the face of the enemy, is a hero in my book.

 

 

[twelve mile REB]

Be careful not to confuse heroic with bravery. However, in either case it’s not terminal many heroes have returned to home and hearth as have the brave. I know a man that has a palm leaf attached to his Purple Heart, for those that don’t know that means he was wounded at least three times. Heroic, brave maybe but less heroic than KIA is certainly a judgment call and bravery in a military sense is in the eye of the beholder. In my not so humble opinion to have served your country honorably bestows hero status.

12

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

The true heros never made it home. IMHO....

Some did.

 

A Sp4 who was a conscientious objector, a Chaplain's Assistant, who pulled two wounded men back from a hell of fire and was wounded twice himself, costing him an arm. He wouldn't carry a weapon nor fight but he was a hero in my book.

[Tyrel Cody]

My grandpa was in the 381st Combat Engineers and fought at the Battle of the Bulge. My mom said he refused to talk about it when she was growing up and he didn't talk very much about it while I was growing up. The last few years of his life he did start telling some of the stuff that happened over there and I really wish we had thought to record some of those memories. He died on Veteran's day of 2011 and I still haven't completely gotten over that; I miss "Pappy" a great deal. In my opinion he was a hero during and after the war. Is he any less of a hero than a soldier that gave his life over there; I think not. Pappy and his best friend hitch hiked and walked 140 miles to Louisville ,KY to enlist. They went to different divisions and his best friend was killed shortly after arriving in France; I consider both heroes.

[Utah Bob #35998]

My grandpa was in the 381st Combat Engineers and fought at the Battle of the Bulge. My mom said he refused to talk about it when she was growing up and he didn't talk very much about it while I was growing up. The last few years of his life he did start telling some of the stuff that happened over there and I really wish we had thought to record some of those memories. He died on Veteran's day of 2011 and I still haven't completely gotten over that; I miss "Pappy" a great deal. In my opinion he was a hero during and after the war. Is he any less of a hero than a soldier that gave his life over there; I think not. Pappy and his best friend hitch hiked and walked 140 miles to Louisville ,KY to enlist. They went to different divisions and his best friend was killed shortly after arriving in France; I consider both heroes.

Many stories are lost because vets don't want to talk about their experiences. It's a shame but very understandable. Very.

[Charlie Whiskers]

And we're losing more of that great generation every day.Soon all the stories will be lost.Just past this week in the obit's there were 4 more of them that went.

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

My Dad never talked about his service. He was in the Engineer's as well, 19th. N.Africa, Sicily, Italy. He was present at the Kasserine Pass debacle.......Buck

[Utah Bob #35998]

Anyone that has worn the uniform, in the face of the enemy, is a hero in my book.

 

 

Nope. I screamed like a little girl.

[Sergeant Smokepole #29248L]

My answer above was told by me to my Grandsons when they found my Class A's hanging in the closet.

 

 

I stand by my statement as I saw it.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

Many stories are lost because vets don't want to talk about their experiences. It's a shame but very understandable. Very.

 

My Father-in-Law is not only a hero but also was decorated for his bravery.

 

He was a just a young kid trained as a flight engineer flying in B-29's on regular bombing missions on North Korea during the Korean War. On one mission his B-29 was hit by flak and one engine caught on fire.

 

I should stop and explain that at this point of war the mistreatment of American POW's was well known and his crew had taken a vow that if shot down over enemy territory they would not be taken alive. To show how serious they were my Dad said he carried a 38 caliber revolver, a 45 1911 and a Grease Gun with extra mags stuck in tops of his flying boots.

 

When all of their attempts to put out the fire failed and faced with having to bail out over North Korea my Dad told the pilot to put the bomber into a dive to try to blow the flames out. The pilot asked my Dad if it would work my Dad replied "How do I know? Just do it." The pilot followed my Dads instructions and with the wind from the dive blowing the flames out the bomber made a emergency landing in South Korea. My Dad stayed with the plane while the engine was replaced and then flew back to base with the plane three days later.

 

He was decorated for saving the lives of his crew and his airplane.

 

To this day he occasionally remembers that mission in his dreams waking up in sweats and fear. I have tried on more occasion to get him to join the VFW and to particpate, as recently as last fall, in local Veterens Parade and ceremony. He refuses stating that he know what he did and doesn't see the need to tell other people.

 

Lots of heros made it back alive. They just don't talk about it.

[Seldom Seen #16162]

The true heros never made it home. IMHO....

 

[Hoss]

When I was in HS, back in the mid 70's my dad ( A WWII vet) had an old friend come over to visit. they got telling war stories, His friend ( a retured US Army Major) told about the D day invasion, going ashore under heavy fire, the landing craft stopping too far from shore and dropping the gate, it was either jump out in deep water of get short in the LC. He jumped, sank in water over his head, dropped his equipment and went ashore, found a rifle from a fallen comrade, and continued. The story did not mean all that much to me, until I watched the movie "Saving Private Ryan". What he described was exactly like the scene in the movie. Wow, those guys were hereos, and brave.

 

Whenever I think of D Day, I think of my Uncle, Raymond Hoagland, who paid the ultimate price during the invasion. Thanks you Uncle Raymond. I never knew you in person, but you are remembered.

 

My uncle, and my dads friend, and my dad, and all who served our country are heros. The did what had to be done, at the request of their CIC. They did not question the politics, just did the job. We should all remember and honor our servicemen and women who are doing the same today.

[Sergeant Smokepole #29248L]

I was watching TV last night and they had something about a famous Gladiator (I don't remember his name, so he must not be so famous). He stated that he was happy at the end of his battle. My grandson asked me if he was happy that he killed the other Gladiator. I told my Grandson that nobody is happy that they kill anyone in battle. They are happy to be alive. He asked me to tell him some of my stories and I told him that I can't. That's true because I may joke about some things but those memories still bother me to this day.

 

When killing becomes too easy or doesn't bother you, it's time to get into a different career.

 

That is one reason why Old Timers do not like to pass on some stories. Some times they still haunt you..... even 40 years later........

[Dorado]

My grandfather is a WWII vet. He was a Marine pilot and photographer. We've asked him for any stories but to this day we've only gotten one, and he told it only once.

 

Before the War he had gone to college for photography, he wanted to be a movie cameraman. However when War broke out he was off to fight. He became a pilot in the marines and because of his photography experience he took aerial recon photos. One day he was asked to be a part of a secret project. He agreed and became one of the few photographers documenting the Manhattan Project. He took the pictures during the development and of the tests in the Bikini Islands. And this is where the story begins.

The scientists were testing one of the bombs to determine the effects of radiation on living bodies. So they loaded hundreds of dilapidated battleships and aircraft carriers with livestock and lined the around a Bikini island. They dropped the bomb, the blast was so massive it made the battleships look like insects. (I had a picture of it but it got stolen) After the test they collected a few of the livestock and took them in for autopsy. For the autopsy, several of the top Brass had shown and were in the viewing room along with my grandfather and another photographer. They were told "No flash photography!" during the procedure. Well the surgeon moved in to make the first incision, everyone was glued to the glass. However the other photographer didn't like the lighting and put the flash on his camera. When the surgeon made the cut, there was a bright flash of light! Everyone hit the deck and hid under anything available. They all thought that there was another atomic explosion! The only one standing was the photographer who didn't follow instructions. He was escorted out and that was the last time my grandfather saw him.

Later on his service contract was ending he was asked to be trained on the new fighter plane, he declined because he would have to reenlist. So they gave him a machine gun and had him island hopping in the Pacific.

 

That is the extent of the stories my grandfather has told us. I believe I found a picture that he took during the tests. I'm not sure they didn't exactly record who took what picture. But here it is. http://globalpatriot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/bikini-atoll.jpg?9d7bd4

The one I had was framed and was 11/2 foot tall by about 3 foot wide.

 

 

Wouldn't let me post the picture.